A couple arrived for a vacation in Santorini, Greece, and were checking into their hotel when they claimed the front desk told them that the hotel thought they’d already checked in.
Phoebe Cruz (@pheebs16xox) and her boyfriend shared the entire saga — and how they resolved the situation — on her TikTok, where followers were curious to uncover how such a mix-up could happen.
@pheebs16xox WHO ARE U #santorinigreece #santorini #greekislandhopping
In the comments, Cruz claimed that the hotel staff told her a guest checked in before her arrival using the same name on her reservation and a picture ID with her name and face.
“[You] should’ve seen my face when he told me hahahaahhah WTF,” Cruz wrote in the comments.
Despite her shock at the situation, she is not the first to have encountered losing her room to an “imposter” on a trip. In fact, several others in the comment section described how they had faced similar situations.
People explained that it was a legitimate mistake by the hotel staff in many cases when the names were the same and, in some situations, the person even had a similar-looking face, so ID confirmation failed as well.
“I’m front desk and I have only done this once on accident when I was starting gave the poor guy an upgrade he was so nice,” admitted @violetz_hana.
“Went to the beach 15 years ago. We couldn’t check in because WE had just checked out after a week there. Another family with dad that had same name,” shared @_geotay.
Others alleged the hotel could have been lying to cover up a double-booking or a failure on their end to confirm the guest’s identity before check-in. Another commenter noted that some areas of Greece could have different check-in requirements, leading to a mix-up.
“In many island hotels in Greece they don’t ask for ID, they just ask for [a] name on the booking or say ‘Are you *name*?’ This happened a few times to me,” claimed @msonrisa.
Cruz followed up her initial TikTok by sharing that the hotel quickly remedied the mistake by offering her and her boyfriend a “premium suite” instead of the room they had originally booked.
“Hehe, thank u, imposter,” she captioned her video with a peace-sign emoji.
And while she and her boyfriend appeared to be enjoying the new suite that included a hot tub and a scenic view of Greece, she also admitted that the entire situation had scared her.
“I know I’m still a bit spooked wtf!!” she said.
To help guard against anything similar, travel-savvy commenters also shared a few tips to ensure any place you’re booking is legitimate and that your stay can be as secure as possible, such as:
- Choose hotels or Airbnbs that require ID booking
- Make sure they have an online vetting process
- Confirm your room before you leave with a phone call
- Always carry a second form of identification
Despite the unsettling story, Cruz’s followers were glad to see the situation resolved and that she ended up with something positive from the mix-up.
“A win is a WINNN,” noted @noturmumzl.
Source: Yahoo News
